Watch out for fake health inspectors

RESIDENTS of Windhoek have been warned to be on the lookout for criminals pretending to be health inspectors from the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

The imposters try to gain access to people’s property with an eye to robbing them. A number of Windhoek residents have complained of “well-dressed” individuals approaching them with questionnaires, supposedly for data-collection purposes, but who have been unable to provide proof of identity upon request.A spokesman for the Windhoek City Police, Max Hipandwa, yesterday told The Namibian that his office had received reports of people who had gained access to Windhoek residents’ homes and pick-pocketed them while supposedly filling out surveys for various organisations.”It’s not only the Ministry of Health.There are some who pretend to be meter readers and electricians.But all these (official) people should be able to identify themselves positively, and we appeal to the public to report anyone they think might be suspicious,” Hipandwa said.He could not say which areas the culprits preferred to target, and said that no one had been arrested in connection with such a case yet.The Ministry of Health’s Public and Environmental Health Services Deputy Director, Erna Awaseb, confirmed that no team from the ministry is currently going around doing any form of data collection in urban areas.”No one has the right to do that.That’s not our prerogative,” she said, adding that the municipality would be a more likely body to be involved in such activity.A number of Windhoek residents have complained of “well-dressed” individuals approaching them with questionnaires, supposedly for data-collection purposes, but who have been unable to provide proof of identity upon request.A spokesman for the Windhoek City Police, Max Hipandwa, yesterday told The Namibian that his office had received reports of people who had gained access to Windhoek residents’ homes and pick-pocketed them while supposedly filling out surveys for various organisations.”It’s not only the Ministry of Health.There are some who pretend to be meter readers and electricians.But all these (official) people should be able to identify themselves positively, and we appeal to the public to report anyone they think might be suspicious,” Hipandwa said.He could not say which areas the culprits preferred to target, and said that no one had been arrested in connection with such a case yet.The Ministry of Health’s Public and Environmental Health Services Deputy Director, Erna Awaseb, confirmed that no team from the ministry is currently going around doing any form of data collection in urban areas.”No one has the right to do that.That’s not our prerogative,” she said, adding that the municipality would be a more likely body to be involved in such activity.